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Edward McMillan
Edward Scott McMillan is a turncoat Sergeant Major, serving in the Waffen-SS following his betrayal to the British Army. He is instantly recoginzable as one of the most prominent characters in IO history. Profile Early Life and Family Edward was born on December 22nd 1911 in a small cottage on the outskirts of Rossadillisk to Sheryl McMillan, a successful baker in the near town. His father was a farmer. Due to complications at birth Edward has a small stigmatism in his left eye. In March of 1927 Edward's mother died of consumption, soon after Edward's father took the young boy and they left for a new life in America. They were met with much resistance from the start. Edward's father had no luck keeping employment and soon Edward, out of sheer starvation became a petty thief to help make ends meat. After many short stints in the county jails Edward enlisted with the Army at the age of 19. Soon after Edward was placed in the reconnaissance platoon to put his skills to better use. This was not to his liking, as Edward had always reportedly preferred being in the thick of action. Three days after Edwards twenty second birthday his father died as a result of mass infection from a minor wound gone unchecked, a wound he sustained in an arguement at a local tavern. Time in the British Army McMillan spent the early stages of the conflict under the Royal Marine Commandos until transferring to the 7th Armoured Division alongside his commanding officer Liam J. Brentwood and young corporal James F. Mason. While there, he befriended Brentwood as well as the Welsh Sergeant Rhys Bevan and New Zealander Jack Whyte. His greatest friend remained, however. Private Stephen Colly who harboured unrequited homosexual feelings for him throughout their friendship. McMillan's skill on the battlefield earned him great renown - his fame as a soldier was widespread, even amongst the enemy. Rafael Z. Wolfram, a German captain, knew of and respected him enough to take a personal interest in the man. The two would meet on the battlefield four times in total and held a mutual rivalry. During this period, McMillan would take part in a number of battles and skirmishes, being decorated for the first time after a particularly hard-fought battle. Betrayal " During the later stages of the war, McMillan was drafted to the front line with a small squad of men. The detatchement was soon found and encircled by a larger German force led by Wolfram himself. In a shocking turn of events, McMillan turned on his own men, slaughtering his entire squad at point blanc range. Faking his own death to avoid suspicion, McMillan accepted Wolfram’s hand and joined the Waffen-SS. Allied Reaction McMillan's apparent death came as a blow to all those who'd met him; Stephen Colly, Liam Brentwood, Rhys Bevan, Daniel Brennan and Nathan Whyte were among the mourners. Brentwood, who had been asked to identify the body, announced to the stunned and generally dubious crowd that McMillan was alive and the body belonged to somebody else. Only McMillan's closest friends so much as half-believed him. The effects on his loss on Brentwood were the most noticable, with the usually collected officer undergoing something of a mental breakdown, turning to violence and vicious sadism as a result (this in turn almost resulted in the death of Nicholas Ealing). It was also during the funeral that Stephen realised that he had been in love with McMillan. Time in the German Army After his shocking betrayal, McMillan was drafted to Africa where he destroyed a small Allied force "without firing a single shot". He would later be seen fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, where he slaughtered elements of his old division. Amongst the captured were officer Aaron Mitchell (whom he dubbed a fool) and McMillan's old friend, James F. Mason. During a battle in Italy (in which he succesfully took a British-held town), he took Stephen as a P.O.W. He would later release Stephen from his captivity, potentially saving him from imprisonement and torture, and attempted to get his old friend back to Allied territory despite the possible repurcussions. He also took part in a small (and, once again victorious) skirmish against Mac Bargett. Relationships Serving in the British Army, McMillan's closest friend was undoubtedly Stephen Colly (see below) but he also had a number of friends and aqquaintances. He had a brotherly relationship with his commander, Liam J. Brentwood, who saw him as enough of a friend to break down completely after his (faked) death. Other friendly Allies included Rhys Bevan, Jack Whyte, James F. Mason and Nathan Whyte. Relationship with Stephen Colly McMillan's relationship with young English soldier Stephen Colly has been a staple of Issuing Orders since its conception. During McMillan's time in the British Army, Stephen was his constant ally, and McMillan proved to be extremely fond and protective of the young man. When Stephen returned from the front line, shell-shocked and confused, it was McMillan who was the first to visit him in his ward. It was only following McMillan's defection to the SS that Stephen finally realised that his feelings for McMillan were romantic and faced up, at least to himself and to his friend, Nathan Whyte, to the fact that he was gay. Stephen remained adamant that McMillan was alive and was proved correct when he came across him in Europe. In a cruel twist of fate, he was captured by his old friend but, proving that their friendship was stronger than any alliance, McMillan helped him to escape at great risk to himself. Relationship with Rafael Z. Wolfram McMillan's eternal rivalry with German officer Rafael Wolfram is just as notable as his friendship with Stephen Colly. The two met one another on the battlefield on a number of occasions, with both parties viewing eachother with mutual respect and dislike. Despite their antagonism to one another, it is interesting to note that, ultimately, McMillan chose Wolfram over his old friends (including Stephen). Relationship with Liam J. Brentwood If McMillan's friendship wih Stephen Colly was based on fatherly affection, his relationship with Brentwood was certainly a brotherly one and one that surprassed the officer-soldiers divide. Of all of McMillan's friends and acquaintances, it was Brentwood who arguably suffered the most from his friend's disappearance. Relationship with Steven McMillan Although McMillan had few but strong friendships he actually had a blood relative that was rarely spoken of. A man by the Name of Steven McMillan shared the same father as Edward but it took the better part of both of their lives to meet. Steven tracked his elder brother down and joined the military in search of him. It wasn't until days before Edward joined the Waffen-SS that Steven found him. Edward's reaction was not pleasant as he called the man a liar and was offended that he dared accuse his father of being disloyal. The two have yet to see each other again. It isn't found out until many months later that Edward fully beleived Steven when they met. Edward mentioned the similarities in stature, appearance, and personality. Currently it seems that battlefield prowess may be something they each got from their father as well. Category:Characters of Issuing Orders